


The Exchange

by Rumbellegem15



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), Rumbelle - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2019-01-23
Packaged: 2019-06-18 09:25:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15482697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rumbellegem15/pseuds/Rumbellegem15
Summary: Depressed Neal Gold agrees to swap homes for the holidays with similarly unlucky in love Belle French. Neal finds himself in a huge mansion in Maine where he befriends the local Sheriff and Belle finds herself in a secluded little cottage in snowy Glasgow where she meets Neal's father one night.Could these encounters be what these two have been looking for all along?This story is based on the film 'The Holiday'





	1. Chapter 1

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND  
Neal Gold loved his job, he loved to write, he had great colleagues, and he couldn’t have wanted more. Except one thing. He looked out of his office window and saw her, Tamara Jones, his sort of boss and the love of his life. 

He had been working for The Glasgow Times for the last four years, five months, twenty two days and five hours and he had been in love with Tamara for the last four years, five months, twenty two days and about four hours and forty five minutes.

He glanced up from his computer again and saw her talking to the newspapers chief editor, Greg Mendell, his heart stopped when he saw her throw her head back in laughter and touched Greg’s arm.

“You stare any harder and Mendell will burst into flames” Neal squeaked in surprise and blushed when he realised how girly he had sounded.

“Fucking hell Jeff” he clutched his chest and turned to face his best friend and colleague, Jefferson Madden.

“Sorry bud” Jeff laughed and then moved into the room and perched himself on the edge of Neal’s desk “still pining after Tamara then?” 

“No” he answered a bit too quickly “I don’t know what you mean”

“Get real Neal” Jeff smacked his buddies arm and chuckled at his own rhyme.

“Fine, maybe I like her a little bit” Neal grumbled and then looked up at his friend, Jeff just raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow at him “ok fine I love her, I’ve loved her for years, she’s the one”

“The one!” Jeff scoffed “You’ve been on one date, and that was what... three years ago?”

“ more like four” Neal muttered “I know it’s pathetic, but at the time she wasn’t looking for anything serious so we stayed friends, and then it never seemed the right time to tell her that I wanted to be more”

“You have been friend zoned my friend” Jeff rolled his eyes “has she ever given you any indication she might have feelings for you?” 

Neal looked out of his window again and sighed “sometimes I think she does, we talk all the time, sometimes we talk all night”

“Do you talk about boys and braid each other’s hair too?” Jeff grinned. Neal scowled at his so called best friend.

“Don’t you have some work to be getting on with?”

“Nah, all done, that’s why I’m here, aren’t you done yet? It’s Christmas, it’s time to party” Jeff gestured to the festivities going on outside Neal’s office.

“Shit is that the time!” Neal exclaimed as the clock caught his eye “I’m going to miss my deadline”

“I hope not” Neal and Jeff spun round at the new voice in the room. Tamara was stood in the doorway with her arms folded but a teasing smile on her face. 

“And that’s my cue to leave” Jeff stood from his perch and nodded to his boss on his way out. When he was gone Tamara turned back to Neal.

“Don’t you ever have fun Neal?”

“I have fun” he answered defensively “I... I have fun all the time”

“You never seem to leave this office” she gestured to the small room they were in. She wandered further inside and perused the photos he kept on display on his shelf. She knew his father but she didn’t know anyone else in the pictures, except the man that had just left the office – Jeff something or other.

“Well maybe I just love my job” he smiled.

“Loser” she laughed. 

“So any plans for Christmas?” Neal asked.

“I’m getting out of this freezing cold country” she grimaced “you should think of doing the same”

“I’m afraid I’m back at working the day after Boxing Day” Neal sighed.

“All work and no play....” She let the end of the sentence trail; Neal cleared his throat suddenly feeling very awkward.

“I got you something” he changed the subject quickly. He turned back to his desk and rummaged in the bottom drawer for the small parcel he had hidden there about three weeks prior. He finally produced a box wrapped in red shiny paper and secured with a golden bow.

“You didn’t have to do that” she smiled as she took the present from him.

“I wanted to” Neal shrugged, a slight blush now colouring his cheeks as he watched her pull the ribbon loose. He bounced on the balls of his feet as she ripped the paper apart maddeningly slow; he was excited and nervous about the gift. When she finally removed the lid from the box she gasped at what was inside.

“Neal this is...” She hesitated as she took the item out of its box. An antique gold brooch in the shape of a bird “this is just like the one my grandmother used to wear”

“I remembered, it’s the one you showed me in that shop window that time we were walking through town” he was beginning to think it had been a bad idea when he saw the tears glistening in her eyes.

“I can’t believe you remembered that” she laughed “it’s beautiful Neal” she added as she placed it back in its packaging “well now I feel bad that I haven't got you anything” 

“Don’t worry its fine” he shrugged.

Tamara stepped forward and placed a soft kiss on Neal’s cheek, the slight blush he had been sporting was now a bright red colour and he ducked his head to hide his face. He lifted his head just as she stepped out of his office and he watched her walk through the building towards her own office.

“Did you tell her?” 

Neal squeaked again for the second time in half an hour at the sound of his best friend’s voice beside him “Jesus Jeff, I swear I’m going to make you wear a bell”

Jefferson laughed “where would be the fun in that?”

Neal grumbled under his breath and went back to his desk; he was definitely close to missing his deadline now. Jeff watched his friend.

“So?”

“So what?” 

“Did you tell her?” 

Neal sighed “no I didn’t”

“So what was with the kiss?” Jeff asked confused.

“She was thanking me for the Christmas present I gave her” Neal replied without taking his eyes off his screen.

“Must’ve been one hell of a present” Jeff raised an eyebrow.

“It was a brooch she showed me ages ago, she said it was just like one her grandmother wore” Neal didn’t need to look up to know the look his friend was giving him.

“Wow” Jeff mouthed “what did she say?” 

“nothing really, she thanked me, kissed me on the cheek and then left, but I could see something in her eyes, I think this might finally be it Jeff, I think she might actually love me back” Neal gushed and Jeff just wanted to shake some sense into his friend. He had spent years watching Neal be jerked around by Tamara, she was never going to return Neal’s feelings but Neal was the only one who couldn’t see it, Tamara had always used him and then chucked him to the side when something better came along “right I’m done” Neal announced bringing Jefferson back to the present.

“Finally” Jeff clapped “let’s get a drink” 

Neal rolled his eyes but followed Jeff anyway; he had to admit a drink sounded good. The two men made their way through the crowd that had now gathered, everyone waiting for five o'clock so they could leave for their Christmas breaks.

Jefferson went off in search of drinks while Neal stayed and talked with another one of the writers for the paper, August Booth.

“Apparently Greg has got a big announcement” August informed them just as Jeff reappeared and handed Neal a cup of something that didn’t look appetizing at all.

“Egg nog” Jeff answered his unasked question. Neal grimaced at the foul tasting drink and placed the cup down on a nearby desk. Neal tried to engage in conversation but he couldn’t stop looking around for Tamara, he honestly felt like she was finally feeling the same way about him as he felt about her.

The chatter in the room died down and Jeff looked over his shoulder to see their boss, Greg, ascending a few stairs so he could tower above his workers, Neal followed Jeff’s gaze and spotted Tamara moving to stand next to Greg on the steps. 

“Ladies and gentlemen!” Greg yelled across the room and then stood waiting for everyone to quieten down “I want to thank you all for your continued hard work this year, our readership is up and the big bosses upstairs are extremely happy” 

There was quiet laughter and clapping around the room before dying down again.

“I have a small announcement before you all go off and get drunk or whatever it is you all have planned” he laughed at his own joke and then cleared his throat awkwardly when he received no response “right ok, well some of you are already aware but I just wanted tell you all – and especially Neal Gold where are you Neal?..... Ah there you are” he pointed when Neal raised his hand “this concerns you as our wedding reporter” 

Neal’s heart began to beat hard, something felt off about the way Greg was looking at him, and the way Tamara was gazing up at Greg.

“This gorgeous creature” Greg held out his hand to Tamara who smiled and stepped up closer to him “has agreed to be my wife”

The room erupted into loud cheers, and clapping and whistles but Neal didn’t hear any of it, all he could hear was the blood pumping in his ears, he couldn’t even hear Jeff’s concerns as he turned and practically ran back to the safety of his office. Neal leaned on his desk and tried to breath, he tried desperately to blink back the tears that were filling his eyes. He felt embarrassed for his reaction; most men would have laughed at him for showing such emotion.

“Are you ok?” Neal swiped his eyes when he heard Jeff’s voice

“I’m fine” he replied but hated the way his voice cracked.

“You don’t have to pretend with me” Jeff stated gently “I know how much you loved her”

“Doesn’t matter now” Neal sniffed “I’ve got to get out of here” he then declared and began looking around for his keys and phone. After grabbing his coat and bag he barged passed Jeff, feeling bad for knocking into his friend but he couldn’t stay, he needed to get home, to be on his own.

“Neal come on man” Jeff called after him, he caught up with him at the building's exit “come on, let’s go for a drink” he offered but Neal declined.

“I want to be alone” 

“Do you want me to call your father?” Jeff asked 

“What am I, five?” Neal snapped “no I don’t want you to call my father” he stormed away and down the stairs and out onto the street.

He headed off in the direction of the train station and silently groused the fact that he had decided to leave his car at home that morning. He had to run to catch his train; he didn’t fancy having to wait another two hours for the next one. As he took his seat and stared out of the train’s window he felt his phone ringing in his pocket, he pulled it out and then cancelled the call when he saw ‘dad’ flashing across the screen. Jeff had called his father anyway.

He loved his father but he didn’t want to be babied, he wanted to get home and pour a large tumbler of scotch (a trait he seems to have inherited from his papa) and then pass out and forget that the day had ever happened.

His transportation finally rolled into the station of the small village Neal lived in and he made his way through the snow towards his small cottage. It wasn’t much, but it was his, he’d bought it when he moved back to Scotland, with his own money, and he was proud of that.

But now the cottage seemed empty as he opened the door and stepped inside, shaking the snow from his boots as he entered. He had no one to share his home with, no one to snuggle up with next to the open fire, he was alone.

Neal sat down at his kitchen table and buried his face in his hands, four years he’d spent loving a woman who did nothing but use him, four years wasted that he could’ve spent looking for love elsewhere, and he had been an idiot. 

It was in that moment that he was grateful for the remote location of his cottage as he began to sob uncontrollably... and loudly.

 

STORYBROOKE, MAINE  
The sound of a blender startled Gaston Hunter awake, he buried his head into the scratchy pillow, before suddenly realising he was on the couch and not in his king sized bed. The sun was shining through the open curtains, momentarily blinding him as he sat up and rubbed a hand over his tired face. 

Gaston stood from the couch and wandered through the living room and towards the staircase, ignoring the sour look he received from the housekeeper, Mrs Potts. He slowly made his way up the steps and paused at his bedroom door; he could hear shuffling and knew that she was awake. 

He pushed open the door and immediately had to duck as a phone charger flew at his head.

“Jesus Belle you almost took my head off!” he yelled at his girlfriend of two years.

“Maybe I should aim a bit lower next time” she spat and glanced down at his crotch “maybe that would stop you sleeping around”

“For the millionth time I didn’t sleep with Ashley” he yelled 

“Yeah right” Belle scoffed “so why was she calling you at two in the morning, on the same night you told me you were working all night” she raised an eyebrow in challenge.

“She’s my secretary Belle, she wanted to know if she was needed for anything that night, she was bored I reckon” Gaston explained without making eye contact. A trait Belle knew meant that he was lying.

“You’re lying” Belle shot back.

“Nothing I say is going to convince you otherwise.... we both know you always have to be right” he sighed.

“You are such a...” she let the sentence drift as she grabbed an armful of his belongings and stormed passed him towards the open door of the small balcony. With one almighty swing the clothes flew through the air, some landing on the branches of a nearby tree but the rest landing on her perfectly trimmed lawn, she grimaced slightly when she heard something hard hit the ground as well.

Gaston appeared behind her “fuck Belle that’s a $900 phone” he screamed at her and then ran down the stairs towards the garden to check his phone. He ran barefoot out onto the grass and found the silver device sitting on the wet lawn, the sprinklers having done their job that morning. Belle stood on the balcony watching him fret over his belongings and that was when she realised how much he cared about his things and how little he cared about her.

“You’re lucky it’s not broken” he called up to her.

“Gaston we're over” she declared “you have nothing to lose so just tell me.... did you sleep with her?” 

Gaston stared up at her, seemingly trying to decide if he was being tricked “yes ok... yes I slept with her.... are you happy?” 

Belle glared at her boyfriend, and then she was flying down the stairs in a rage, yanking open the door to find Gaston still staring at the balcony she had just been stood on. He looked at her when he heard the door slam shut behind her.

“Did you just say ‘am I happy?’” she raged “are you serious? You fuck my friend and then ask if I’m happy!”

“That’s not what I meant” he rolled his eyes.

“Oh really so what did you mean?” she folded her arms across her chest waiting for an explanation.

“You really want to know” he challenged and then continued when she nodded “You do this in every relationship... You are so much happier alone that when anybody tries to get close you push them away... and then you act like the injured party when they find someone else.... it happened with Will... with Graham”

Belle surged forward and slapped Gaston as hard as she could “how dare you bring up Graham!” she raged.

Graham Humbert was the local sheriff and had been Belles boyfriend for two years when he had broken up with her for someone else and then a week later he had died from a heart attack, an underlying problem he’d had no idea about apparently.

“Fine sorry” Gaston mumbled “but you guys did break up just before he died though Belles”

“Don’t call me that” she snapped. She hated being called Belles; it made her feel like she was five!

“Look, I'm sorry for what happened, can we just forget it and move on?” he sidled up close to her, a smug grin on his face when he thought she would relent. Belle smiled sweetly, pretending to forgive him but in reality she was letting him get close enough for her to-

“Jesus Christ Belle” Gaston gasped and cupped his now bruised cock. 

“In case that wasn’t clear” she seethed “no we can’t forget it and move on”

Belle turned and stormed back into her house, slamming the door behind her for dramatic effect and leaning on the wood as she fought to catch her breath. That absolute bastard, that lying, cheating asshole… how dare he blame her for his cheating!?

“Miss French” Belle gasped at the sudden interruption, her heart beating a staccato in her chest. It was then she realised she may have been venting out loud.

“Mr Dove” Belle plastered a fake smile on her face in front of her right hand man “everything ok?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing” he smiled fondly at his boss. 

“I'm fine” she answered quickly and frowned at the high pitched sound of her voice.

Dove nodded, he knew she wasn’t but he also knew she wouldn’t confide in him, much preferring to suffer in silence. 

“Do you want me to do the rent collections today?” Dove asked

Belle pushed away from the door and started to pace “that bastard” she muttered.

“Miss French, are you sure you're ok?” Dove wondered.

Belle stopped “do I push men away?” she asked.

“Ummm” Dove didn’t know how to answer her question.

“You think I do” she gestured wildly “I don’t mean to, it’s just most of the men I've dated seem to only want me for the money, so I've learnt to protect myself”

“I understand Miss French” Dove nodded.

Belle shook her head in an attempt to clear her muddled thoughts “can you collect the rent today Mr Dove?” the large man smiled fondly when he realised she hadn't heard the original question he had asked. Belle then turned and headed up to her office, needing some quiet tome to think. It was Christmas in five days and now she was going to be spending it alone, now kicking herself for not accepting her father’s invitation to spend Christmas with him in Australia. Belle eyed her laptop sitting on the desk and pulled it across and opened the lid, opening up a tab for flights to Australia. A gasp left her lips when she saw the prices they were charging for last minute flights to Oz on Christmas Eve, she may be a rich woman but she couldn’t justify that extortionate amount.

But the idea of getting away seemed like a good one now so she searched for holidays elsewhere instead.

“Where do they speak English?” she muttered to herself whilst perusing the list of countries “ah England perfect”

There were an abundant amount of holidays in England but then something caught her eye “home rentals, I could do that” she continued murmuring to herself as she looked at the properties listed. England was proving to uninspiring so her search drifted north “hmm Scotland” 

The first house she viewed looked like a serial killers home and just as she was about to give up her search she saw a small cottage, the picture looking like something out of a Christmas card with its snow covered roof and the beautiful scenery and the description sounded perfect for what she wanted.

Belle’s fingers hesitated over the keyboard, suddenly wondering what she was doing but a glance around her empty office, her eyes finding a photo of her and Gaston made her mind up instantly. 

She typed and then waited.

Neal wiped his eyes as he heard his laptop ping, his brow furrowed as he wondered who would be messaging him so late, his first thought was that his father had probably given up ringing and opted to email. He retrieved his machine from his laptop bag and opened it up on the kitchen table; it was an instant message from someone named Belle. Feeling intrigued he opened the message which simply said

HI

His fingers hovered over the keys, wondering what this person could want.

HI

The reply was instantaneous

I'M SORRY FOR THE LATE HOUR BUT I SAW YOUR HOME LISTED ON A PROPERTY RENTAL SITE AND I WAS WONDERING IF IT WAS FREE OVER CHRISTMAS?

Neal sat back in his chair and pondered his reply 

IT IS AVAILABLE BUT ONLY REALLY FOR HOME EXCHANGE

WHAT IS A HOME EXCHANGE EXACTLY?

IT IS WHERE WE SWAP HOMES, CARS ETC. I'VE NEVER DONE IT BEFORE BUT I'VE BEEN TOLD ABOUT IT

OK, THAT’S DOABLE. WHAT'S IT LIKE THERE? THE PICTURES LOOK IDILIC

IT’S VERY REMOTE BUT NOT FAR FROM GLASGOW IF YOU PREFER COMPANY, IT IS LOVELY HERE THOUGH. WHAT IS YOUR PLACE LIKE? WHERE ARE YOU?

Neal crossed his fingers and prayed ‘please be somewhere far away’

I LIVE IN MAINE, A SMALL TOWN CALLED STORYBROOKE. MY HOME IS A LITTLE BIGGER THAN YOURS. WHEN DO YOU WANT TO DO THIS?

Neal almost choked when he saw the word Maine “America” he grinned. Could he really go to America? 

His phone pinged with an incoming message, Tamara’s name flashing across the screen as he looked down. That made his mind up, she was engaged to another man and she was still messaging him, he needed to get away. Without checking the message he turned back to his laptop and typed his reply before he could change his mind.

THAT’S NOT DIFFICULT! IS TOMORROW TOO SOON?

Belle chewed on her thumbnail; she glanced around her empty office, the room suffocating her so much that she quickly typed her reply 

TOMORROW IS PERFECT!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, i wanted to get this out before Christmas but unfortunately had a poorly toddler for most of December. anyway hope you all had a good Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Belle sank down into the plush leather seat in first class, the sun was just beginning to rise outside and she was exhausted already. After confirming all the details with Neal the previous evening she had booked the first flight out of Maine and packed her suitcase before arranging for Dove to watch over the shop and her properties.

Now she was ensconced in first class, second guessing her decision to leave. Was running away really the answer to her problems? Would it really make a difference? She wasn’t sure but it was too late to change her mind as the plane’s engines roared to life.

Belle breathed deeply, trying to calm her nerves as the plane took to the skies. Once they were flying smoothly she tried to settle down to sleep but her mind would not stop running over the events of the last forty eight hours, since the moment she had discovered Gaston had slept with his secretary.

Dumped her fiancé….. Ran away to a strangers home while allowing said stranger to live in her home.

What the hell was she thinking?? She couldn’t do this!

Belle pulled out her blackberry, meaning to book a return flight straight home as soon as she landed but as she unlocked her phone a photo of her and Gaston appeared on the screen. She glared at the picture, happier times that he had destroyed because he couldn’t keep it in his pants. Yes she needed this break!

Her mind made up she snuggled back down, pulling her eye mask down to block out the light and hopefully calm her mind………..

“Miss?” 

Belle vaguely registered someone talking but her fuzzy mind couldn’t work out what was going on.

“Miss?” 

She was more awake this time and realised she was being spoken to, by whom she was still unsure, until she realised she was currently lay across the back seat of a car.

“Yeah?” her body shot up, her hands immediately going to the eye mask that was still covering her vision. Things made more sense now she could see; she blinked against the light, her eyes adjusting eventually.

“We’re here” the driver – the person she realised had been speaking to her – informed her.

Belle looked out of the cars window, a frown crossing her face as she took in the scene. A graveyard, covered in about two feet of snow.

“This can’t be it” she muttered.

“No actually it’s about half a mile down there” he pointed to a very narrow lane “but I won’t be able to turn the car around, do you think you can walk from here?” 

“No” Belle laughed, but her face soon fell when she realised he wasn’t joking.

Belle stamped her foot, not having the desired effect she wanted when her heel met the snow. She looked down at her choice of footwear, cursing herself for her vanity over practicality, she should’ve dressed for snow, she was in Scotland in the middle of winter, but her favourite black leather heeled boots had been too tempting.

She let out a frustrated growl, thankful that no one was around to hear her. Her suitcase sat at her ankles and Belle stood for a moment trying to work out how she was going to pull the Louis Vuitton bag through the snow. Not finding any other option she pulled her handbag onto her shoulder and began to pull the case behind her, her feet slipping on the ice with every step she took. Belle was beginning to think she was never going to make it when the trail opened up into a clearing and the most beautiful cottage she had ever seen came into view. Belle smiled as she stood at the closed gate staring up at the little house, it was just like the pictures that Neal had sent her but somehow even more beautiful in reality.

She wiped the snow from the name plaque on the gate – Rose Cottage.

“I'm here” she squealed.

 

Neal breathed a sigh of relief when he finally found his seat in the packed plane; he had nearly missed the flight after second guessing his decision to go away. He was still very unsure but had decided to just take a risk for once in his life.

Two ladies took the seats either side of him, and immediately they began chatting incessantly with him, he smiled widely at their enthusiasm. That was until he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket; he pulled the device out assuming it was going to be his father, finally reading the rather vague text Neal had sent him at some ungodly hour in the night. Instead he saw Tamara’s name on the screen.

HEAR YOU'RE FINALLY TAKING THAT VACATION!  
MAYBE YOU ARE FUN AFTERALL LOL!  
WHERE CAN I REACH YOU?  
T   
XX

Neal clutched the phone tightly, anger coursing through him. He took a deep breath and thought about his reply.

TAMARA,  
WE BOTH KNOW I NEED TO GET OVER YOU; IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU WOULD LET ME TRY.  
GO BE WITH YOUR FIANCE.  
NEAL.

He read his reply a few times before taking another deep breath and pressing send, and he stowed his phone deep in the bottom of his bag and pulled out his book that he had grabbed from the duty free shop……

Hours later Neal stepped out of the airport, the sun beamed down on him and he smiled. A row of yellow taxis – or cabs as the Americans call them – stood in front of him and he rushed to find one. After giving the driver the address that Belle had given him he sat back and watched the scenery passing by, he felt excited as he spied a diner, a marina and a huge clock tower with what appeared to be a library underneath.

He was so enraptured by all the sites that he didn’t even notice when they pulled up outside a Victorian mansion, Neal hadn't been expecting the size and he definitely hadn't been expecting the colour…. It was pink!

The driver retrieved his bags from the trunk and left them on the pavement next to Neal and after being paid he sped off leaving a dumbstruck Neal staring up at the massive building.

“Wow…. I'm here” he grinned.

 

Belle dragged her suitcase up the narrow staircase to the one bedroom, for a man’s home Belle thought it was very cosy. Although she wasn’t used to such a small living space, Belle was regretting the amount of shoes she had brought with her now that she had seen his closet. 

After squeezing her clothes into the cupboard she decided to explore her new home for the next couple of weeks, a task that didn’t take very long at all. There was a kitchen and living room downstairs, along with a small bathroom to the rear of the property.

Belle sat down on the cream sofa, unsure of what to do next, she was so used to being busy that she actually had no idea how to relax. The keys to Neal’s car sat on top of the fireplace, an open fire Belle realised.

“That’s going to be interesting” she mused as she eyed the basket of logs, never having lit a real fire in her entire life.

She grabbed the keys and set off to find the car, a red Ford Focus; Belle stood staring at the vehicle, suddenly scared about driving on the wrong side of the road…. And the wrong side of the car. 

The roads were slippery, and the narrow lanes had Belle screaming in fear every time a car came from the other direction, the small village came into view and Belle parked the car in the first available spot she could find.

“Oh my god that was terrifying” she swallowed; her knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel “I need a drink” she glanced around at her surroundings, spotting a supermarket across the street.

The snow crunched underfoot as she made her way over, her now more sensible shoes preventing her from slipping over. Warm air blasted her in the face as she entered the store, Christmas music was playing and the whole place was covered in tinsel. Belle had almost forgotten that it was Christmas.

Belle began to explore the aisles, placing anything and everything in the cart, a chocolate Santa, a few bottles of wine, a carton of eggnog, various cheeses….. Diet be damned!

“Looks like someone is having a party” the cashier laughed at the amount of stuff Belle put through the tills.

“Oh yes” Belle smirked. A party for one!

Once back at the cottage Belle put on her pyjamas and after storing her purchases in the fridge and cupboards she poured herself a large glass of wine and then explored some more. The cottage was so quiet as she perused Neal’s book collection, nothing caught her fancy though, and the collection was nothing like her own. His music collection was much the same, although she did come across a Killers album, Belle smiled as the first notes of Mr Brightside began to waft through the speakers. With most of her bottle of wine drunk Belle danced around the living room, her off key singing and dancing making Neal’s dog, a Westie named Jock, howl and bark, in despair or delight Belle wasn’t sure.

When the song ended Belle stood at the window, watching as more snow fell to the ground, her hands wrapped tightly around a mug of hot chocolate now instead of wine. She felt alone, her decision to leave America now feeling like the wrong one. She pulled her phone out and began looking up flights back to Maine, thinking she could just check into Granny’s, not wanting to ruin Neal’s break away. 

The only flight she could find was for the next day, so after booking her ticket she climbed the wooden stairs to bed, even though she wasn't tired, jet lag having set in. Belle lay in the darkness for what felt like hours, just staring at the ceiling when suddenly there was a loud banging on the door, and Jock started barking incessantly at the noise. Belle didn't know what to do, it was 2am and she was alone, in the middle of nowhere.

She crept down the stairs slowly, trying to look through the frosted glass panel in the door.

"Come on Neal open up!" She heard a thick Scottish accent call through letterbox.

"Neal’s not here" Belle shouted back, hoping the man would leave.

"Neal let me in or I swear to god I am going to piss all over your-"

Belle lunged for the door and yanked it open, her breath caught as she came face to face with a man, a gorgeous man in fact, older than her but still gorgeous. Shoulder length brown hear, slightly greying at the temples and the warmest brown eyes she had ever seen.

"Hi" she smiled uncertainly.

"You.... Are definitely not Neal" the man choked.

 

Neal finally made it into Belles house.... or mansion as it should be described, the security alarm having given him a little trouble at first. He stood in the foyer absolutely stunned by the size; the entire downstairs seemed to be the size of his whole cottage put together. He left his bags on the floor and went to explore further, smiling at all the antiques that covered almost every surface. His first thought was that the house was somewhere his father would be very at home.

The kitchen was huge, with an island in the middle, it was his perfect kitchen, it even had a pantry completely stocked full of food. Belle had told him she had a housekeeper but as far as he was aware Belle had given her Christmas off to spend with her family.

Neal grabbed his bag and headed upstairs, hoping to find a bedroom. He wanted to look around a lot more but jet lag was catching up and he was exhausted, counting on his fingers what time it would be in Scotland in that moment. He should phone his dad, to let him know what was going on but he just had to hope that he had gotten Neal’s message. He would contact everyone when he was fully awake. The first room Neal found was the bathroom, a luxurious looking room with a corner bath and a shower that for some reason looked like it could fit at least five people. He looked forward to trying them at some point. The next room was clearly Belles room, so he shut that door and made his way to the next door, he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a made up bed with soft blue sheets and a comforter covering it, clearly having been made up for him. He ventured further into the room and looked around, the bed looked so inviting but the sun was shining brightly through the window, he was never going to be able to sleep with that amount of light.

Sighing he walked over to the curtains, hoping they might block out at least some of the sun, he was surprised however to find that they were the thick curtains, with blackout lining sewn into them. Neal smiled as he pulled the fabric closed, the room immediately swarmed with darkness, so much so that he had trouble finding his way back to the bed. Shucking his clothes, save for his boxers, he climbed under the duvet and fell into a deep dreamless sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow…..

 

A loud banging woke Neal up from his slumber.

“What the…” he grumbled into his pillow, momentarily forgetting where he was. He grabbed his phone off the nightstand and glanced at the time, he’d been asleep for six hours. 

The banging which had woken him started again so Neal climbed out of bed, grabbing his t shirt as he exited the bedroom. It was now dark outside, he wondered who could be knocking at this time of night especially when technically the owner of the house was away. He pulled open the door, yawning widely as he did so.

He wasn’t expecting the blonde woman stood in front of him, a serious expression on her face as she looked him up and down.

“Can I help you?” he asked.

“Where’s Belle?” the woman asked.

“Belles in Scotland” Neal answered.

“And who are you then?” she continued questioning.

“I should be asking you that, you are the one knocking the door” he grinned.

The woman raised an eyebrow at his tone “I'm Sheriff Emma Swan, we had a report of a strange man entering this property, I've been trying to get hold of Belle all day but she's not answering so I thought I better come check you out… I mean IT out”

Neal smiled as he caught a hint of a blush on the Sheriffs cheeks “Belles fine, she's actually at my house in Scotland, we swapped homes for Christmas, she's there and I'm… well…. Here” he tried to explain. 

“Ok….” Emma sounded sceptical “you won’t be offended if I check your story out?” 

“No go ahead” Neal gestured. Emma pulled her walkie talkie from her belt and spoke into the speaker, asking her deputy to speak to some man called Mr Dove.

“I better not find out you're lying to me and squatting here or something” she threatened.

“Cross my heart” Neal made a cross sign with his finger over his heart and Emma chuckled.

“EMMA LUV” Neal looked over Emma’s shoulder to see a man in a black leather jacket sat in the passenger seat of a yellow bug, shouting out of the open window “YOU READY TO GO!”

Emma rolled her eyes “see you around” she turned and walked down the steps, Neal watched her go.

“I hope so” he muttered.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually got a new chapter written without making anyone wait 6 months... Go Me! Enjoy!

“You……. are not Neal” the man choked. Looking Belle up and down “or if you are then I am much drunker than I thought” he chuckled.

Belle swallowed, the man’s thick Scottish accent making her feel funny things in her tummy “Neal’s in America” she informed him.

“That’s not possible” the man shook his head with a laugh “Neal never goes anywhere”

“Well this time he has” Belle answered with a smile “we swapped homes for Christmas, he's at my house in Maine and I'm…. here”

“People do that?” he scrunched his face up, Belle thought it was adorable.

“Apparently” she nodded.

“He did send me a message this morning but I was busy and forgot to read it” he thought out loud “oh I feel bad now”

If he had read the message he wouldn’t have come drunkenly knocking on his son’s door and waking the poor woman up, and probably scaring her half to death.

“Its fine” Belle murmured.

“I'm Cameron…. Gold” the man introduced himself “Neal’s father”

“Oh” Belle was shocked, he didn’t look old enough to have a grown up son.

“I apologise again….” Cameron smiled awkwardly “I will leave you to it, but if possible could I just….” He pointed to the bathroom just behind Belle.

“oh yes of course” Belle stood back to allow him to enter “I'm Belle French by the way” she added, thinking maybe she offer her name as he offered his.

“Beautiful name” Cameron called out from the bathroom. Belle was thankful for the door in between them as she felt the blush creeping up her cheeks. She hadn't had this kind of reaction to a man before, it felt strange to her. Glancing in the mirror her eyes widened at the birds nest her hair had turned into, she quickly pulled the band from her hair and let her brunette tresses tumble down around her shoulders, just having enough time as she heard the toilet flush to drag her fingers through the strands to tame them.

Cameron came out of the bathroom and stopped in his tracks, how had she become more beautiful in the minute he had been in the next room. 

“I’ll…” he cleared his suddenly dry throat “I’ll get out of your hair now”

“You don’t have to” she had no idea where that had come from, Cameron turned to face her “I mean you could just stay here, it’s late…. You probably won’t get a cab at this time of night” 

“That… that would be great but…. Are you sure?” he asked.

“Yeah…. Sure…. Why not” Belle shrugged. Maybe some company is what she needed; she was leaving in the morning anyway.

Cameron weighed his options before replying “ok…. And I promise I'm not a serial killer or anything”

Belle laughed “I'm pretty sure that is what a serial killer would say”

Cameron chuckled, his body swayed a little, and it was then that Belle noticed the cane, how had she not noticed?

“Do you mind if I sit down? I think I might bump into you” his speech was a little slurred, obviously from his trip to the pub.

“Of course” Belle rushed forward to grab her discarded jacket from earlier from the sofa, fluffing the pillows ready for Cameron. 

“Thanks” he mumbled as his legs finally gave out and he fell down on to the cushions with a small bounce.

“Can I get you something to drink? Some water… maybe some tea?” she offered.

“I think there's a bottle of scotch up there” he squinted into the kitchen and pointed to a shelf. Belle followed his gaze and spotted the brown bottle, she did think for a second that maybe her houseguest had had enough but that thought was quickly followed by you only live once. She reached up on her tiptoes and grabbed the bottle, her t-shirt riding up as she stretched.

He turned back towards Cameron, she thought she caught him staring at her but he had averted his gaze so quickly she wasn’t sure.

She pinched two glass tumblers between her thumb and index fingers of her right hand and carried the bottle in her left over to the small coffee table by the sofa. Mr Gold took the bottle from her and unscrewed the cap, and pouring a generous helping of the amber liquid into the glasses. He picked up both glasses and handed one to Belle.

“Cheers” he smiled and clinked his glass against hers.

Belle eyed him as he took a drink, her gaze drifting to his lips as his tongue shot out to lick away a drop of stray scotch. 

“So what brings you to Scotland?” Belle startled as he spoke, realising he had probably caught her staring at his mouth.

“You don’t want to hear about my pathetic life” she suddenly found her drink very interesting, hoping he might change the subject.

“I'm an old man showing up drunk on my sons doorstep” Cameron said embarrassed “what could be more pathetic than that”

Belle looked up, noticing that he seemed genuinely interested in talking to her “well…. I just broke up with someone…. Yesterday in fact” had it really only been yesterday “and I realised that I didn’t want to be alone for Christmas so I thought a holiday would be the answer but then I got here and I've never felt more alone in my entire life” she huffed a laugh at how pathetic she sounded to her own ears. 

Cameron was silent, unsure what to say, how could this beautiful woman in front of him ever feel lonely, whoever had let her go must be a complete moron!

Instead of saying anything he reached for the bottle of scotch, unscrewing the cap again and pouring a bigger measure of liquid into her glass, laughing at her raised eyebrow.

“You definitely seem like you need it” he said.

“Thanks” she took another sip, enjoying the warmth as the alcohol slipped down her throat. The silence stretched on, but it wasn’t uncomfortable, the bottle of whiskey soon became half empty and Belle was finding she was enjoying Cameron’s company. He was funny and smart and well read, everything she had ever wanted, why did he have to live in another country?

A quick glance told Belle it was late, she hadn't realised how long they had been talking.

“I better go to bed” she made to stand up, her legs felt wobbly, having drunk more than she was used to.

“Oh ok” Gold had been enjoying talking to her “have you got a fun filled day planned in the morning?” he asked.

“Umm actually…. No” Belle mumbled “I'm booked on the midday flight back home in fact”

“Wow” he mouthed “we made that much of an impression on you then?”

“I just realised this was a mistake” she shrugged “it was impulsive and reckless and I should go home” she added with a frown. Was it really that reckless?

Cameron stood from the sofa, his head spinning a little; he grimaced as he thought about the hangover he was bound to have in the morning “well I guess I better let you go to bed then”

He stepped forward, meaning to place a kiss on her cheek but as he leant forward Belle turned her head to say something, and he caught her lips instead. He pulled back instantly.

“I'm sorry, I was…. I meant to get your cheek” he stuttered.

Belle was speechless, her gaze fixed on his lips, and he was waiting for her to explode at him.

“I really am sorry Belle” he tried again when she stayed silent.

“Could… could you try that again?” she suddenly blurted out.

Cameron’s eyebrows shot up, almost disappearing into his hair line, that was the last thing he had been expecting. He tentatively leaned forward again, still not completely believing that this was what she wanted. Ever so gently his lips touched hers again; Belle increased the pressure slightly before pulling back.

“Hmm” she frowned.

“Was it that bad?” Cameron sounded a little hurt.

“No… not bad…. Just weird” Belle tried to explain as she sat back down on the sofa, Gold took a seat next to her, feeling confused.

“Good weird…. Or bad weird?” he asked.

“Just…. Weird” she buried her face in her hands “oh god you must think I'm insane”

“Not insane…” he let his reply tail off, not really sure what the correct reply would be.

“ok” she suddenly sat up straight, making Cameron jump “this is probably going to sound completely nuts and you will probably run a mile but I'm thinking….. I'm thinking that we should have sex”

“Seriously” Gold thought he must have misheard her.

“Yeah” her voice sounded higher than usual “I mean why not, we’re both single, this holiday was all about me letting loose for once in my life, I'm leaving in the morning so you have no worries about me becoming a crazy stalker and…. You think I'm mad” 

“No I don’t” he shook his head “I'm just processing”

“I don’t normally do this” Belle sighed “kiss strangers I mean”

“Ok” Gold nodded. Belle looked at him, she was beautiful, he could admit that, and he wouldn’t admit to the funny feeling he got in his belly when they had kissed, he wouldn’t see her again after tonight anyway. Without saying anything he leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers again, enjoying the soft gasp from Belle when he pried her mouth open with his to tentatively stroke his tongue against hers.

He pulled back when breathing became a necessity, grinning when Belles eyes fluttered open, her lips slightly swollen and her bright blue eyes were darker. Belle practically pounced into Cameron’s lap to crash her mouth back to his, he let out a quiet ‘humph’ when she collided with him before wrapping his arms around her. He would never admit to the whine that escaped him when she stood up and stepped away from him.

“I have to tell you….” she looked down at her feet “I'm… I'm not very good at this”

“At what?” Gold was breathing heavily.

“This… sex” she blushed.

“Oh I don’t believe that” he shook his head. If her kisses were any indication then sex was going to be mind-blowing.

“Well be that as it may…. My ex told me…. a lot actually” she muttered.

Cameron stood and cupped her face with his hands “well then your ex is an idiot” he said before kissing her again. He could feel Belles smile and kissed her harder, this time when Belle pulled back she kept his hand clasped in hers and began to lead him towards the stairs, snagging the bottle of scotch off the table as she went. A seductive smile played on her lips as she tugged him towards the bedroom.

Gold smirked at her “you're already better than you think you are” 

 

Neal breathed in the sea air as he walked down the street, the sun was shining and for the first time in forever he felt happy. He had woken up hungry, the pantry was well stocked but he hasn't felt like cooking, remembering seeing a cute looking diner on his arrival he decided to take a walk. 

The little town was like something from a fairy-tale, everyone he passed smiled and nodded, some even stopped to chat to him, intrigued by the stranger in their quaint town.

When he made it to the diner - Granny’s diner to be specific - he walked inside, suddenly feeling very self-conscious when everyone turned to stare at him. Neal took a deep breath and headed towards the counter.

"Hi what can I get you?" The waitress asked. A bubble of gum popped loudly as she stood there waiting for him to answer. Neal grabbed the laminated menu and scanned the items listed, eventually choosing pancakes and a black coffee. While he waited for his order he pulled his phone out, frowning when he still had no reply from his dad. He typed a quick message to Jefferson, earning thumbs up emoji in reply. Neal rolled his eyes, his friend liked to think he was down with the kids!

A hot plate of pancakes and mug of black coffee was placed in front of him moments later, just as he speared a piece of the fluffy breakfast food into his mouth he heard the scrape of the chair next to him and then someone was sitting next to him.

"So you'll be pleased to know that your story checked out" he tried to smile around his mouthful of his food, he quickly swallowed, almost choking along with it, Emma smacked his back slightly "you ok there buddy?" She laughed lightly.

"Yeah" Neal gasped "thanks"

"No problem" Emma replied just as the waitress - Ruby - Neal had learnt from her name tag - returned with the sheriff's coffee to go "well enjoy your time here... Mr Gold"

"Neal... please" he chimed in "Mr Gold is my father"

"Ok, see you then... Neal" Emma jumped off the stood and headed back out to the yellow bug she had been driving the previous evening. Strange car for a cop to be driving, Neal thought.

Once he had finished his breakfast, thankfully with no more choking incidents Neal left the diner, intending to go for a walk to the marina and explore a little. When he reached the promenade he saw a lady walking a little ahead of him but paid her no attention, the view of the ocean was amazing and he just stood for a moment, taking it all in. 

That was until he heard a scream, the lady who had been walking was on the ground and a man was running towards Neal, with the woman's bag in his hands. 

"Hey!" Neal shouted at the assailant "stop right there" 

The masked figure obviously hadn't seen Neal before he snatched the purse; he stopped and began to run in another direction, leaving Neal to give chase as fast as he could. The robber seemed to know his way around and disappeared through a hole in a fence, Neal stopped, his breath coming in short sharp gasps. He really needed to get in shape!

He swore quietly to himself, he'd lost the bastard... the woman was still on the ground so Neal headed back to her.

"Are you ok?" Neal knelt down beside the lady.

"He took my purse" she cried, Neal noticed she was also gripping her ankle.

"You're hurt" Neal stated rather than asked again "I'll call for help" he then pulled his phone out, dialling 911. Being such a small town it didn’t take long for an ambulance to show up, closely followed by the Sheriff.

“What happened here?” Emma asked her notebook in hand. Neal soon learned the woman’s name was Ivy Belfrey, and she was also apparently not happy with Neal for not catching her attacker.

“Seriously” Neal was gobsmacked. He had tried; he could've just kept on walking.

“Don’t worry about it” Emma patted his shoulder “Ivy is the mayors daughter, she seems to think that the whole world revolves around her because of who her mother is”

Neal was still frowning as he gave Emma his account of what happened, not really being able to give her much to go on. She soon told him he could head home; he decided to head back via Granny’s again to grab a burger to go and wandered back to the Victorian mansion. Once inside he sat at the island in the kitchen and unpacked his food, staring at the takeout rather than eating, his gaze then drifted down to his gut. Was this the reason that Tamara chose someone like Greg than him, he had let himself go recently, choosing work over the gym. He stood from the table and walked to the window, overlooking the garden, he hadn't realised that Belle owned a pool. 

Grabbing the boxes of food he shoved them in the bin and then changed into his swimming trunks and pulled a towel out of the cupboard, the sun was still shining as he headed down the steps. He was going to get in shape, get over Tamara….

Before he could get into the pool he heard his phone ringing, thinking it was finally his father returning his call he answered the call without looking.

“Hello”

“Hey you” 

Neal pulled the phone away from his ear to check the ID, not wanting to believe the voice belonged to who he thought it did.

“Tamara?” he questioned.

“Yeah, I know you didn’t want to me to call you but I missed you” she sounded so sincere that Neal felt himself smiling at the sound of her voice.

“Really?” he wondered.

“Yeah… I've got this article and I just can’t seem to find the right words, you are always such a good help” Neal felt his smile slipping. 

“Ok” he started to sound sceptical.

“Would it be absolutely terrible if I sent you some pages to read through and give me your thoughts” she asked, Neal could practically hear the pout on her lips, the one she always used when she wanted someone to do something for her.

Neal rolled his eyes, knowing he wouldn’t say no “sure”

“Oh thank you so much” Tamara gushed “you are an angel”

“Oh I wouldn’t say th…”

He was cut off by the sound of another person’s voice on the other end of the phone…. Greg!

“I'm on my way sweetheart” Tamara’s muffled voice sounded through the speaker, Neal’s heart broke all over again “I've got to go now Neal, I’ll send you those pages… bye” and without waiting for his answer she was gone. Neal wanted to throw is phone into the pool, he was so angry, and upset but most of all he just felt humiliated. Sighing heavily he placed the silver device on the table and turned back to the pool, he took a deep breath and dived right in, the feeling of being completely submerged gave him a sense of calm and when he broke through the surface again he felt a bit lighter.

Yes this holiday had definitely been a good idea!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly shorter chapter, but hope you enjoy!

Belle stood in the kitchen the next morning, a cup of coffee grasped in her hands in an attempt to warm them up. She smiled as she watched some kids run past the cottage, pulling their sledges along behind them.

She heard uneven footsteps coming down the steps behind her and she turned to see Cameron limping down into the living room.

"Ah there it is" he spotted his cane lying on the ground next to the sofa. Once he got his balance again he turned to Belle "much better"

Belle smiled shyly at him "do you want a coffee?" 

"I... uh... I better be off actually" he glanced at his watch.

"Oh right ok" Belle tried not to sound too disappointed, she had to leave for the airport soon anyway.

"Listen I know you're leaving today anyway but I just wanted to say..." He began.

"Look you don't have to do this" Belle stopped him.

"Ok but I just wanted to say that you are better off without me... my life is complicated right now and..." He carried on despite her protestations.

"Cameron" she held her hand up in a 'stop' gesture "I'm not going to fall in love with you I can promise you that"

Cameron stopped, slightly taken aback by her words "Ok, consider me told" he muttered.

"I'm sorry" she stepped closer "I just know myself, I don't fall in love, I'm not even sure I'm capable of it"

“Oh I think everyone is capable of love, you just haven't found the right person yet” Cameron told her sincerely.

“Yeah maybe” Belle shrugged, thoughts of the previous night flooded her mind, not just the amazing sex…. Actually the absolutely mind-blowing sex…. But also the talking and laughing. She hadn't had a connection like that with anyone; it made her feel kind of sad to be leaving.

Before they could talk more she heard something ringing, it definitely wasn’t her phone so she figured it was his. The noise was coming from behind her so she turned and spotted his cell on the table, he stepped forward but as Belle was closer she reached for it, instinctively looking at the screen as she did so.

“It’s Regina” she informed him “sorry I shouldn’t have looked”

“Its fine” Cameron shook his head as he rejected the call and shoved the phone into his pocket “I’ll call her back”

Belle stood awkwardly “it was very nice to meet you Cameron” she decided to tell him.

“Yes it was a very memorable evening” he chuckled “and for the record, your ex…. Doesn’t know what he's talking about”

Belle blushed and glanced down at her slipper covered feet “you were drunk” she laughed.

“Not that drunk” he shot back with a sly grin “so you're leaving today?” he asked even though he already knew the answer.

“Yeah… I better get moving actually if I'm going to make my flight” she spied the clock on the wall.

“ok well you probably won’t hear from me, as I don’t have your number and you probably wouldn’t want to anyway” he laughed “but if by any chance your flight is cancelled or you change your mind about leaving then I am meeting s couple of people at the local pub tonight” he offered unexpectedly. It was a surprise to her and to him, he didn’t have too many one night stands but the ones he did have he never saw again.

Belle smiled and nodded, not really sure how to respond.

Cameron didn’t know what else to say so he nodded, taking slow steps towards her “have a safe flight Belle” he whispered and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. Belle watched as he left the cottage, a lump formed in her throat, did she really want to leave?

Deciding she had to, nothing good could come of seeing him again, she lived in America, he in Scotland, it was a bad idea. He had even said himself that his life was complicated, whatever that meant, he was probably just being polite in inviting to join him, and he had known she was leaving. Shaking her head of the confusing thoughts she rushed up the stairs and got dressed, hastily throwing the last of her belongings back into her case and hauling it down the steps again and waiting for her car that was taking her to the airport.

When she was safely ensconced in the back seat she let her thoughts drift to Cameron again.

When they had made it to the bedroom he had gently pushed her against the closed door, pressing his entire body against hers as he kissed her, clothes had been shed slowly and after he had laid her upon the bed he had worshipped every inch of her body. 

Belle’s body was thrumming as she recalled the night, she’d lost count the amount of orgasms he had given her, no man had ever cared that much about her pleasure before. She had come to Scotland to get away from the reminders of her crappy existence in Storybrooke, to get her mind off her breakup, and then Cameron had come knocking on her door and for the first time in forever she had felt alive and happy.

The closer the car got to the airport the more Belle felt her stomach sink, and as the car pulled to a stop outside their destination she felt worse.

“Are you getting out or not sister?” the rather grumpy looking driver turned in his seat to glare at her but she couldn’t seem to find the motivation to leave the car…..

 

Neal wandered around the mansion, marvelling at all the things that Belle owned, her home was like a museum with all the antiques dotted around the place. He opened a door to the left of Belles bedroom, a small gasp left him as he took in the scene. She had a library!

He ventured further into the room, dragging his fingers along the tomes, grimacing when the tips came away covered in dust. Belle obviously didn’t come in here very often he decided. He picked a book and headed back downstairs to the living room, snuggling up on the sofa with a coffee. The hours ticked by and Neal couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so relaxed, he didn’t even notice when the sun started to go down, not until he couldn’t read the words on the pages anymore anyway.

Neal stood and stretched his limbs, feeling his muscles pop and crack from being still for so long. His stomach growled loudly so he made his way to the kitchen, meaning to make himself some dinner but before he made it to the next room the doorbell rang. Frowning in confusion he walked back to the front door and pulled it open, revealing the Sheriff again.

“This is becoming a habit Sheriff” Neal laughed, the blonde simply smiled in return.

“Good evening Neal” she greeted “I'm sorry to disturb you… again… but I'm afraid there's been a burglary just up the street from here and we are canvassing the area to see if anyone saw or heard anything, about two o’clock this morning”

“Oh wow” he hadn't expected that “I'm sorry no I didn’t, I'm still suffering a little from jet lag, and once my head hit the pillow last night I was out like a light”

“Ok” Emma nodded, reaching into her back pocket and pulling out a small rectangle piece of card “if you think of anything, however small you think it might be, just ring the number on there” she handed the card to Neal. 

“I will” Neal nodded “did they take much?” he asked.

“A few pieces of jewellery, the owner’s laptop and a couple of other small things” she replied “they got in through an open window”

“Those poor people” he sighed. 

“I’ll catch them” Emma said determinedly “how are you settling in?”

“Oh it’s been great, the people here are lovely and so welcoming” Neal gushed. He had a sudden thought then “look this might not work but why don’t you use this place to keep watch tonight, I mean no offense but your car isn't exactly inconspicuous” he laughed as he gestured to the bright yellow beetle. 

Emma followed his gaze, chewing on her lip pensively, it was a good idea. The block they were currently standing on had been targeted a lot recently, not that that information had been made public. She could station herself in the front room window, it had a good view of the entire street, and Neal didn’t seem like too bad company.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t mind?” Emma asked.

“Of course” Neal nodded “I will even order a pizza” he laughed.

“Ok that would actually be a big help” the sheriff agreed. She wouldn’t say it out loud, for risk of scaring the neighbourhood, but there had actually been a spate of break ins in the street over the past couple of weeks and she was no closer to catching the culprits “I’ll be back when it starts to get dark” she informed Neal. 

Neal watched her go, giving a small wave as she pulled the yellow bug away from the curb and disappeared around the corner. The wind picked up around him, and Neal smiled at the poetry of it, the winds of change were blowing. He shook his head, chuckling softly; he was turning into his father.

A couple of hours later and Neal was sat at the kitchen island, reading the newspaper and glancing at the clock every two minutes. It wasn’t that he liked Emma, although he could admit she was beautiful, it was more that he felt a connection with her. Not a romantic one – he hadn't failed to notice the man in her car the first night she came knocking that must’ve been her boyfriend – but he liked talking to her, he didn’t have many friends and he honestly felt like Emma could be a good friend.

Neal was so lost in his thoughts that he jumped when the doorbell rang, he would never admit to the noise that came out of his mouth either. He pulled the door open and let Emma enter the house; she walked in, taking in her surroundings.

“You know I've known Belle for years but I've never set foot in her house” Emma marvelled at all the expensive looking antiques dotted around the home.

“I thought maybe the front window would be the best to keep an eye on the street” Neal led her into the living room, showing her the window seat she could get comfy on for the stake out. She pulled the curtain across to hide herself but left enough gap so she could still see the comings and goings of the street.

Neal went into the kitchen, pulling open drawers in search of takeout menus, and grinning triumphantly when he found a pile of various restaurant leaflets. He picked the one he thought looked good and brought it back into Emma who had perched herself in the window seat with a pair of binoculars.

“What pizza do you want to order?” he asked as he read through the options.

“Anything except anchovies” she grimaced at the thought and Neal laughed.

“What have you got against anchovies?” he wondered.

“My boyfriend Killian, he used to be a sailor, so he loves anything to do with the sea including food” she stuck her tongue out in disgust, her nose scrunching up a little.

“Right… no anchovies…. Got it” Neal nodded “pepperoni?”

“Perfect” Emma gave him a thumbs up so Neal snatched up the phone and called the pizza place.

They sat in silence for a while, just watching the street from the window, the only light in the room coming from the street lights outside. A few cars passed by, and a couple walking their dog but everything else remained quiet. Neal left Emma to go and fetch the food when the doorbell rang and then he placed the boxes containing the pizza, chips and onion rings between them on the seat.

“So how long have you been sheriff?” Neal decided to fill the silence.

“I got promoted about a year ago” she said “the previous sheriff, Graham, he hired me to be his deputy, he took a chance on me when I had nothing, he trained me, he was such a good friend” she picked at a piece of cheese that was falling off her piece of pizza.

“What happened to him? Did he get transferred?” he probed.

“No…. he uh…. He died” she replied sadly “heart failure… some underlying heart condition he didn’t know about”

“I'm sorry” Neal told her sincerely “that must’ve been hard”

Emma shrugged “it was…. Is hard but after a slight disagreement with the mayor she gave me the position of Sheriff, and now everything I do is to honour Graham’s memory…. That’s why I want to catch this thief, before he takes anything else”

Neal watched as Emma finished her piece of pizza and then she went back to the watching the street, she was amazing.

 

Cameron walked into the pub that night, scanning the crowd as he moved through the throng of people. He hated the sinking feeling he had in his stomach as every face he saw wasn’t Belles beautiful face. He sighed; maybe it was for the best.

“Gold!” he turned at the sound of his name being called and saw Jefferson waving him over to a table by the window. After one last look around the room he made his way over, kissing Jeff’s wife Alice on the cheek before taking his seat opposite them in the booth. He took a sip of his scotch before he reached up to remove his scarf from around his neck.

And then like a scene from a movie, time seemed to slow down, and the crowd’s parted like the Red Sea and it was then that he saw her. She was sitting at a table, a glass of wine in front of her and a bright smile on her face. She sent him a tiny wave.

Cameron smiled shyly “Belle”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly i have to admit I made a mistake in chapter 3 and used Zelena as the character that Neal saved from a mugging. I completely forgot I needed to use that character in later chapters somewhere else (i should not write when i've had zero sleep). I have therefore gone back and changed the mugging victim to Ivy Belfrey and she is the mayors daughter. Sorry for the confusion. You do not need to re read as this is the only change!  
> Secondly i just wanted to thank everyone for nominating this story in the TEAs for Best Baelfire/Neal! It means so much.  
> Anyway enjoy this chapter!

Cameron was the one standing in the kitchen the next morning, cradling a cup of tea in his hands as he stared out of his son’s kitchen window. Another flurry of snow had fallen in the night, blanketing the fields with a fresh layer of powder. It was strange to be stood in Neal’s kitchen, waiting for the woman he had slept with to surface.

He heard some movement above him and moved to flick the kettle on to reheat the water, knowing Belle was going to need coffee when she made it downstairs.

"Oh my god" 

He smirked when he heard her groans wafting down the steps. Belles fluffy socket covered feet hit the ground, the jolt making her head pound again.

"Ow!" She clutched her head "I haven't had that much to drink since..... Oh who am I kidding I've never had that much to drink"

Cameron laughed quietly "I don't think anyone has"

She glared; although Cameron could see the smile tugging at her lips "shut up" she said and poked her tongue out at him, causing Cameron to laugh louder.

He picked up the mug of coffee he had made for her and handed it to her, her cold hands wrapped around the warm porcelain gratefully. She could feel Cameron's eyes on her as she savoured the first taste, she averted her eyes and that was when she spotted her bra, laying across the coffee the table in the living room.

She squeaked and lunged for the article of clothing, and blush rising up and colouring her cheeks a lovely shade of pink.

"I had nothing to do with that" Cameron laughed at her horrified face.

"I know but you were here" her voice was muffled by her hands covering her face. 

"Yes I was" he declared, a hint of triumph in his voice. Belle groaned, her face getting hotter by the minute.

"So I'm guessing that we.... umm" she couldn't bring herself to say the words. It would be so mortifying if they'd had sex and she couldn't remember. She stayed quiet and hoped that he would understand the question, when he stayed quiet she knew she had to look at him. He was smirking at her, clearly enjoying her discomfort, just as she was about to berate him for being mean he spoke.

"No we didn't" 

Belle breathed a sigh relief "oh thank god!"

Gold couldn't mask the slightly hurt look on his face at her declaration.

"I didn't mean it like that" she giggled "I meant because I couldn't remember" 

Cameron nodded, not entirely sure if he believed her.

"Can I just ask why we didn't..." she was still having trouble saying the word, truly feeling pathetic, so instead she just pointed up the stairs.

"Forgive me if this sounds old fashioned but I don't really enjoy sex with women who are unconscious" he teased.

Belle gasped "unconscious! oh my god, that must've been really sexy"

Cameron shrugged, the grin still firmly planted on his lips.

"Why did you stay?" Again feeling bad for the hurt look in his big brown eyes.

"Because you asked me to" he informed her.

Belle remembered "I did didn't I? Oh my god do I remember begging at one point?" 

"Yes" Cameron was enjoying teasing her but he knew she was embarrassed "but don't worry, you were perfectly charming.... maybe a little bit handsy at one point.... but then you were out like a light as soon as your head hit the pillow"

Belle stopped hiding her face and looked at him "thank you for looking after me"

"You're welcome" he stepped forward not really sure if she would welcome a kiss or not but he was going for it, that was until his phone started ringing behind Belle on the kitchen counter. She reached for it, again instinctively glancing at the caller ID.

"It's Zelena" she said as she handed him hid phone "sorry I shouldn't have looked.... Again" 

Gold hesitated "I should get this"  
Belle nodded with a tight smile as she watched him head out of the front door, then moving to the window to watch him laughing on the phone with another woman.

"Regina.... Zelena.... he's a busy man" she muttered to herself with a sigh.

Belle busied herself in the kitchen, trying not to watch Cameron through the window, and trying not to notice how his eyes lit up at every word this other woman was saying. She was so lost in her thoughts that she dropped the cup in her hand when Cameron came back inside and placed a hand on her shoulder. 

The sound of porcelain breaking echoed in the small kitchen, Belle squeezed her eyes shut in the hopes that she could avoid the inevitable, unfortunately she couldn't and she cracked one eye open to survey the damage. 

"Oh no" she picked up the two pieces, just one small shard had broken off the rim "I'm so sorry... It's chipped" she showed Cameron "You can hardly see it"

"It's just a cup" Cameron reasoned "Neal has plenty more" he took the broken cup from her and threw the small triangle bit in the bin and the placed the damaged cup on the work surface "I think it gives it a little bit of character anyway"

Belle smiled, but the movement didn't reach her eyes, Cameron noticed her uncertainty.

"I think we should get some lunch" he decided.

"Really? Why?" She sounded disbelieved, she had been certain he would be making his excuses and leaving.

"Because I'm running out of reasons why we shouldn't" he clasped her hands "look I like you... and I want to get to know you a bit more, if that’s ok with you?"

Belle blushed. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea "ok"

After Belle had rushed upstairs to make herself look more presentable and not looking like someone who had drank the bar dry the previous night, they were in Cameron’s car heading out into the countryside. Belle stared out of the window, smiling at the gorgeous snow covered views, and not noticing the looks she was receiving from Cameron.

He pulled the car up to a huge manor house.

“This place has amazing food” he answered the unspoken question.

A waiter showed them to a table, the restaurant was quiet, people obviously staying home and not venturing out in the snow so Belle and Cameron felt like they had the place to themselves. 

“So…” Belle started.

“So….” Gold mirrored with a smirk.

“What do you do for a living Cameron?” she questioned.

“I am a book editor and also own a bookstore” he told her.

“Did you always want to be a book editor?” she continued.

“No I wanted to be a wizard when I was little” he said seriously causing Belle to snort, the bubbles from her drink going up her nose.

“What made you be a book editor then?” she wiped her mouth with her cloth napkin.

“Well when I realised that I didn’t have any magical powers I decided that I wanted to be just like my mother” he smiled fondly as he thought of Fiona Gold “she was a very successful editor in her time, all while raising me on her own”

“Sounds like a strong woman” Belle smiled sadly as she remembered her own mother.

“She was…. Taught me everything she knew” Gold shrugged.

“What kind of books do you sell?” she ploughed forward with her questions.

“All genres” he laughed “you know I'm starting to sweat here”

“I'm interrogating you aren't I?” she hid her face behind her hands. Why did she keep embarrassing herself in front of him?

“A little” he chuckled “do you actually know how to be on a date?” 

“I'm sorry” Belle mumbled “I haven't actually been on a date in a while”

“You surprise me” he deadpanned “ok it’s your turn”

“Ok… well as you already know I own an antiques store which doubles as a pawn shop as well and I also own a number of properties in the town that I live” she fiddled with the napkin in her lap as she spoke.

“I didn’t know you owned the store” he was surprised.

“That’s probably because I didn’t mention it, but now I know you were raised by a strong independent woman I know you won’t be intimidated” she assumed.

“No I'm still a little intimidated” he interrupted “and you own property as well?”

“Yes a few local businesses and houses… my mother left me some money when she died and I used it to buy property and I expanded from there”

“How old were you when she died?” Cameron asked.

“I had just turned 17, she had cancer, they found it too late” she replied sadly “it had always just been me, her and my dad. We called ourselves the three musketeers, and then she died and my dad moved back to Australia, but I had lived in America all my life, so I stayed”

“That must’ve been difficult” he observed.

“I cried so much those few months, I think I used up all my tears for the rest of my life” she stared down at the table.

“Do you mean you haven't cried since you were 17?” he asked astonished.

“Yep” she took a sip of her wine “anyway enough about me and my sad life, how about we talk about you some more?”

“Ok…. Well I cry all the time” he said, the tension now broken when Belle laughed.

“You do not” she continued to giggle.

“I do… I weep…. I am a major weeper” he loved the sound of her laugh.

They continued to talk, learning more about each other for so long that they didn’t notice that the restaurant was beginning to clear up ready for the evening rush. Only when the waiter came over to bring the cheque did they get the hint they were being asked to get lost. Cameron escorted her back to his car and they drove back in silence, casting sneaky glances at the other person when they thought they weren't looking. Only locking eyes once making Belle blush.

It wasn’t long before Cameron was pulling up outside his son’s cottage, neither making a move to leave the car.

“Well thank you for lunch” Belle said softly, but Cameron knew a dismissal when he heard one.

“If you don’t want me to come in then you only have to say” he said.

“It’s not that…. I'm just tired…. I think I might take a nap” she explained, Cameron gave her a nod that showed he wasn’t convinced “Cameron… I'm leaving in a week…. But that makes whatever is happening here complicated, I'm not sure I can handle complicated at the moment”

“I get it” Cameron acknowledged “I do”

Belle looked over at him, before she readied herself to leave the car she reached over to cup his face, turning his head to face her and she reached over to kiss him. Her tongue lightly traced against his lips, urging his mouth open, they kissed lazily for a few seconds before she pulled back leaving a dazed Cameron behind.

“And that doesn’t make things complicated” he asked with a smirk.

“Sex makes everything complicated… even when you're not having it… the not having it makes it complicated” she giggled.

“I’ll call you” Gold told her before she jumped out of the car, the cold air immediately attacking her as she ran up to the door to get in the warm.

Cameron watched her go, laughing at her little run in her heels through the snow, he continued to smile even after she had gone inside, Belle was definitely the most interesting woman he had ever met.

 

Neal woke up the next morning, sprawled on the couch, still in last night's clothes. He sat up with a groan, his neck muscles protesting against the movement after the awkward angle he had been lay.

Emma was still sat on the window seat, dozing lightly; the sun was just beginning to shine through the thin curtains casting a soft glow through the room. 

He stood with a bit of difficulty, the soft blanket from the back of the sofa falling to the floor. Neal realised it must have been draped over him while he was sleeping, and the culprit had to of been Emma. 

The blonde startled awake, her binoculars almost falling off her lap when she jumped.

"Sorry I didn't mean to wake you" Neal apologised 

"I wasn't sleeping" she shot back "I was.... I was just resting my eyes"

Neal laughed but said no more.

"Well there was no sign of our thief during the night" she sighed. It had been a long shot but she had hoped it would work.

"Maybe you could try again tonight?" Neal suggested. He had quite enjoyed having some company.

"No I can't tonight, it's my night off, and Killian is taking me out to dinner" Emma smiled at the thought of her boyfriend.

"Ok cool" Neal said "Well if you ever need my assistance again you know where I am"

“Thanks Neal” Emma said sincerely.

Neal nodded, and walked behind her, reaching around her to pull the door open. Emma stepped out onto the porch and turned to say goodbye, but as she did so she spotted an envelope leaning against the wall.

“Oh you’ve got a delivery” she said and reached for the package.

“Really?” Neal was surprised until he saw the post mark, Scotland. The pages that Tamara was sending had arrived. He flipped open the flap and pulled out the paperwork, trying to see if she had sent him a note, he couldn’t help the feeling of disappointment when all he found was her article, nothing more.

“Bad news?” Emma asked when she saw his crestfallen face.

“No it’s…. My friend back home…. she's writing an article for a magazine, I give her notes sometimes” Neal replied distractedly.

“Wow, that’s cool” Emma said “well I better get going, I’ll see you soon”

“Yeah see you later” Neal mumbled, his eyes still glued to the envelope.

Neal closed the door with a frown, he was thousands of miles away and still Tamara was hurting him. He tossed the envelope onto the table by the door, not caring where it landed and headed up to his room to change, deciding he fancied a run. 

His feet pounded against the pavement as he ran, his breath was coming out in short sharp gasps when he made it to the marina. Neal pulled his ear buds out and let them hang around his neck, the music still loud enough to hear over the hustle and bustle of the boats coming in and out. He took a deep breath, the ocean air filling his lungs and clearing his mind.

Neal stood on the docks, watching the boats bringing in their catches of the day, anything from fish to crabs to shrimps, it was interesting to watch. When thing seemed to get quieter Neal realised how hungry he was so he turned away, thinking that lunch at Granny’s sounded like a good idea, he heard a woman laughing from one of the boats as he passed by. He thought nothing of it, until the woman and her gentleman friend appeared on the deck, Neal recognised him straight away, Emma's boyfriend. But it was definitely not Emma he was kissing, it was the woman he had tried to help when she got mugged, Ivy – something or other.

Neal was glued to the spot; he didn’t know what to do, he didn’t know Emma that well but she was becoming a friend, a friend who did not deserve to be cheated on. Neal turned on his heel and got out of there as quick as he could, not realising that Emma was walking towards him just as he stepped off the dock.

“Neal, hey” Emma greeted.

“Emma” Neal choked, she couldn’t be here, and he didn’t want her to witness this.

“What’s wrong?” she asked concerned “you look like you’ve seen a ghost”

“Nothing I'm fine… why don’t we go get a drink?” he tried to steer her away but movement over his shoulder caught her eye.

“What the fuck?!” she exclaimed and stormed away, Neal following close behind trying to get her to stop.

Emma climbed up onto the boat, her boyfriend completely unaware of her presence until she shoved him in the back, almost making him fall overboard. His eyes almost popped out of his head when he saw the very angry blonde stood in front of him, Neal would have laughed if his friend wasn’t hurting.

Neal stood back, not wanting to intrude but wanting to be there if she needed him, he watched as Emma yelled, and Killian cowered, he saw Ivy trying to flee but Emma stopping her. Neal’s heart broke, no matter what he was going through with Tamara, it was nothing compared to how Emma must be feeling now. 

The argument ended abruptly, with Emma landing a blow to Killians cheek with a resounding crack and Neal helped her step down from the boat – The Jolly Roger. Neal snorted, his favourite book as a kid was Peter Pan, his father had read it to him numerous times as a child, and now that memory was tainted by the bastard who had Emma.

Neal took her back to the mansion, where she flopped onto the sofa.

“Why do I always fall the bad guys?” she whined.

“You didn’t know he was bad” Neal observed.

“I knew he wasn’t good” she scoffed. Neal held out a cup of tea for her “haven't you got anything stronger?” he produced a tumbler of scotch from behind his back “thanks”

“I know people always say I know how you feel, but I really do know how you feel” Neal sat beside her, placing his own glass on the coffee table in front of them. 

“You do?” she asked softly.

“Yeah” he said solemnly “back home there was this woman, she was everything to me but she never cared about me like I did for her… I thought she could love me…. but then about a week ago she got engaged to another man, and conveniently forgot to tell me”

“Oh wow that’s awful” Emma gasped.

“Yeah” Neal sighed “god I feel pathetic”

Emma suddenly stood up, turning to hold her hand out for Neal to take “where are we going?”

“We are going to get that bottle of scotch from Belles kitchen and we are going to order Chinese food and sit on the back porch and bitch about our failed relationships” she informed him with a smile “you with me?”  
Neal smiled “sounds great”


End file.
